Qualification Title
Version
Level
NZSCED
DAS Classification
Strategic purpose statement
Graduate profile
1
5
Qualification type Certificate
Credits
060501 Health > Pharmacy > Pharmacy
65
1570 Health > Pharmacy > Pharmacy Practice
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the pharmacy sector with people who carry out a wide range of advanced pharmacy dispensing services, and support the provision of safe, patient-centred healthcare, under the supervision of a pharmacist
Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

Communicate appropriately and interact effectively with other health care professionals and their staff

Apply an advanced level of knowledge of human anatomy, physiology and medicines used in the treatment of health disorders

Understand how medicines work and affect body systems

Apply critical thinking and problem solving processes to achieve appropriate solutions in advanced dispensing techniques and/or optimising patient outcomes

Manage inventory and facilitate supply arrangements as appropriate to the pharmacy and its specific community.
Graduates of this qualification will be able to progress to further training in other health related roles or to further study.
Education pathway
Employment pathway
Graduates of this qualification will have the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours required to work in a range of dispensary related roles including those in community, hospital, industrial and educational settings in pharmacy.
Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand Qualification
Developer
Qualification award This qualification will be awarded by any organisation that has an approved provider programme or industry training programme leading to the qualification.
The certificate will display the title of the qualification; the logo of the NZQF and may display the name and/or logo of the awarding body.
Review period
Evidence requirements for assuring consistency
By 31 December 2016.
All tertiary education organisations (TEOs) either arranging training or delivering programmes that lead to the award of the qualification are required to participate in a consistency process scheduled by NZQA.
Th is will involve review of evidence associated with graduate’s achievement of outcomes, and agreeing acceptable thresholds for qualification outcome achievement, and areas for improvement.
To demonstrate how graduates are achieving the qualification graduate profile outcomes, TEOs are required to produce their own evidence in a high level report.
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Credit transfer and recognition of prior learning arrangements
Minimum standard of achievement and standards for grade endorsements
Evidence must include the following:

Annual programme reports with programme statistics including retention, completion, graduate progression data, and learner feedback.

Evidence from internal and external moderation processes that graduates meet the graduate profile outcomes.

Documentation of processes that ensure programmes continue to meet current and future needs (for example, of graduates, family, whanau, community, employers, relevant staff of destination programmes or educational organisations).

Documentation of intended pathways to next or future programmes.

Strategies used to build skills in literacy, numeracy, digital literacy and learning.

Any other relevant evidence as appropriate.
Further information about the consistency process can be found at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/consistency-ofgraduateoutcomes/
Education organisations must have policies and procedures in place for managing credit transfer, and assessing recognition of prior learning and recognition of current competency. These policies and procedures, and information about associated fees, must be available to the candidate prior to enrolment.
To facilitate credit transfer, education organisations must clearly demonstrate the equivalency or comparability between each of the outcomes in the graduate profile, and the assessment components of their programmes.
The minimum standard of achievement required for the award of the qualification will be the achievement of all graduate outcomes in the graduate profile through successful completion of an NZQA approved programme.
There are no grade endorsements for this qualification.
There are no regulatory body or legislative requirements. Prerequisites to meet regulatory body or legislative requirements
Other conditions for qualification
Entry requirement: New Zealand Certificate in Pharmacy (Introduction to
Pharmacy Practice) [Ref: 1886], or demonstration of comparable skills and knowledge.
Delivery of this qualification will be supported by a training plan outlining the preferred or recommended progression of modules.
Programmes leading to the award of this qualification can be delivered either: part time through distance education for those currently employed in a pharmacy; or through a full-time programme delivered by an accredited provider. Full-time programmes must include a practical component of a minimum of 160 hours experience in a pharmacy.
The qualification developer will convene an annual external moderation meeting for providers offering this qualification.
The purpose of the meeting will be to support providers through the moderation of their assessment of outcome achievement by the provider’s trainees and will involve:
 Peer review of evidence associated with trainees’ achievement of
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outcomes in the qualification’s graduate profile.

Determining acceptable standards of achievement

Identifying issues associated with outcome achievements.
Evidence will be in the form of a portfolio of student assessments or other evidence used to provide judgement against outcomes.
Education providers will be required to meet their costs associated with participation in these meetings.
A summary report will be prepared following the meeting and made available to providers together with any recommendations arising from the meetings.
Qualification Outcomes
(including indicative credit values for each outcome)
Conditions
Communicate appropriately and interact effectively with other health care professionals and their staff.
(5 credits)
Apply an advanced level of knowledge of human anatomy, physiology and medicines used in the treatment of health disorders.
(30 credits)
Minimum requirements include knowledge of human physiology and the medicines used in the treatment of disorders of:

Cardiovascular system

Central nervous system

Gastro-intestinal system

Endocrine system

Respiratory system

Reproductive system

Urinary tract

Musculoskeletal system

Skin

Immune system

Eye, ear, nose and oropharynx.
Understand how medicines work and affect body systems.
(10 credits)
Mandatory or
Optional
Mandatory
Mandatory Apply critical thinking and problem solving processes to achieve appropriate solutions in advanced dispensing techniques and/or optimising patient outcomes.
(15 credits)
This will include compounding techniques used in the preparation of medicines under:

Non aseptic conditions.
This may include compounding techniques used in the preparation of medicines under:

Aseptic conditions.
Optional
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Manage inventory and facilitate supply arrangements with others as appropriate to the pharmacy and its specific community.
(5 credits)
Replacement information
This qualification and the New Zealand Certificate in Pharmacy (Technician)
(Level 4) [Ref: 1888] replaced the National Certificate in Pharmacy
(Technician) (Level 5) with strands in Community, and Hospital [Ref: 0423].
People currently working towards the replaced qualification must complete its requirements by 31
December 2017.
Version 1 of this qualification was republished June 2015 to:

update the Evidence requirements for assuring consistency

update Other conditions for qualification. This information was previously in Arrangements for managing consistency

update the Qualification Developer.
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